17.10.17

Nigeria government trying to weaken Atiku before 2019 – Timi Frank

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has faulted the sealing of Intels, a
company belonging to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, by the
Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS).
He said the action was a ploy to weaken him politically ahead of the 2019 presidential election.

Frank in a statement, Monday, in Abuja warned federal government
agencies, including FIRS not to drag itself into the politics of 2019
elections.
According to the statement; “This is not the time to play politics
with the issues of governance. Could it be another ploy to weaken Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar ahead of his perceived ambition for 2019?”
“It is pertinent to note that in the history, since the establishment
of Intels, no federal government has ever persecuted the company like
this present government. The action of the FIRS, NPA, and FTZ as
agencies of government is and can be seen to be attempts to humiliate
Atiku.
“How come FIRS just realized the non-payment of tax by Intels? The
export free zone just realized that Intels is operating illegally. If
the agencies just realized all these, it means they have shown total
failure in discharging their duties. Let’s learn to follow due process,”
he warned.

However, asking the presidency to promptly intervene before it gets
out of hands, Comrade Frank added: “I want to believe that the
presidency is not aware of this over bearing and over zealousness on the
part of these government agencies. By this, I ask the presidency to
promptly intervene in this matter before it gets late.”
He further warned the government agencies to thread carefully,
stressing: “my thoughts are that some political leaders who are afraid
of his profile and hell bent on truncating his perceived ambition are
behind all these.
“The good news is that no matter what these agencies of government
do, the prerogative and his decision to run for presidency come 2019 is
his fundamental right and rightly so if he so desires. Nigeria as it is
today has a lot going on and this latest brazen acts by government
agencies is the least on the minds of Nigerians”, he added.